Good People Gone Bad
by firebrat5289
Summary: second part of the Michael FitzgeraldNicole Malone series. Jack got custody of the girls, and Nicole got custody of Mike Fitzgerald’s heart. Will Michael and Nicole’s relationship advance, or will someone make sure that it stops?
1. Ch 1: Living and Loving

Title: Good People Gone Bad

Summary: second part of the Michael Fitzgerald/Nicole Malone series. Jack got custody of the girls, and Nicole got custody of Mike Fitzgerald's heart. Will Michael and Nicole's relationship advance, or will someone make sure that it stops?

Disclaimer: I own none of the Without a Trace Characters, but I do own Nicole Malone and Michael Fitzgerald, and should I end up creating more characters, I will own them also.

**A/N: as with many of my other stories, I'm making a lot of things up as I go along. I'm a high school student with very little money. Please don't sue.**

**A/N: I know that this chapter is short, and I don't know if it is going to have a lot of Jack, or Mike, but the chapters to come are going to be showing the characters a lot of love.**

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Two months, about eight weeks, sixty days. That's how long we've been back in New York. I'll be the first to admit that no one was really sure of how the deposition was going to go. Mom's lawyer was handing some low blows to dad, and for awhile, I'm sure that dad had his doubts about getting us back. Eventually though, mom took this first step in doing the right thing and gave dad full custody, citing her career as the reason for doing so. Hannah, Kate, and I had all of our things packed up, and sent back up here, where we'd now be living. Sure, dad was still working long hours, but he was making a real effort to make things up to us girls. If he was going to be late, he'd call and let us know, he'd take all of us to school when he said he would; in all, dad was being the best dad ever. Things had gotten even better for me. Not only had I turned eighteen, a huge milestone in a person's life, but I had started dating the greatest guy, Michael Fitzgerald. Mike had been a huge help to me when everything was going on. After all, he had known me for less than a full day and Mike stepped in to be my best friend, my support system, my shoulder to cry on. I had never really met anyone before where I felt that I could just be myself and not have to worry about the consequences. Yes, Mike was 21, while I had just turned 18, but age didn't matter to us. Dad seemed to trust him, which just put icing on our happiness cake. I was taking classes through New York University, and Michael, who had just graduated, had joined up with the FBI and did their whole training program. If you were someone who passed the two of us on the street, we'd seem like the all-American dream couple, without knowing the past that either of us has had to go through.

"Hey, Nicki are you home?"

"In my bedroom, Mike."

I was living in an apartment with Michael was I was going to school. He had found a great apartment, but it was too big for just him and also a little too much for him to try to pay for himself. Thus, our living arrangement. Mike and I split all of the rent and utilities, making it a lot easier to pay for. We knew that moving in together may have been a little too soon in our relationship, so I've opted to sleep in a separate room, just to make sure that things do not advance too fast.

"Hey beautiful."

I hear Mike's voice, and see a beautiful bouquet of flowers appear in front of my face.

"For me? Why, thank you Mr. Fitzgerald."

"You're welcome, Miss Malone."

I get up, walking into the kitchen, to get a vase to put the flowers in.

"You spent the night at the office, didn't you?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Shift ends at 4:00 pm, and right now, it's only noon. Dad must've sent you home."

"He said I was overworking myself, and if I didn't learn to let the case go, I would never make it. I still can't quit thinking about the girl, though."

"Do you want to go grab some lunch or something? It'll help take your mind off of it, trust me."

"If it'll work, I'm all for it."

I put my shoes and jacket on, and together, Mike and I leave, heading down the street to the best restaurant in the world. If either of us had seen the car tailing us, we would've seriously rethought that decision.


	2. Ch 2: Jacqueline Sanders

Title: Good People Gone Bad

Summary: second part of the Michael Fitzgerald/Nicole Malone series. Jack got custody of the girls, and Nicole got custody of Mike Fitzgerald's heart. Will Michael and Nicole's relationship advance, or will someone make sure that it stops?

Disclaimer: I own none of the Without a Trace Characters, but I do own Nicole Malone and Michael Fitzgerald, and should I end up creating more characters, I will own them also.

**A/N: as with many of my other stories, I'm making a lot of things up as I go along. I'm a high school student with very little money. Please don't sue.**

**A/N: I think I finally know where I'm taking this story! It seems to me like it's going to be a great ride, so stick with me, my faithful reviewers!**

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"So, how's everything going between you and Nicki?"

After having lunch together, Michael got called back into the office. I went back to the apartment to study for an upcoming test, and Mike went back to the field office, meeting up with Danny as soon as he walked inside. Danny has known me for a long time, and has always sort of looked out for me, so he wants to know Mike's intentions, just like dad does.

"It's good. She's pretty amazing. Nicki doesn't mind just hanging out on the sofa, watching movies, and that's pretty cool."

"Well, there's not much else that she can do. I mean, she's under 21, so you really can't go out and drink, and you don't want to get too wild because she's your boss' daughter."

"Danny, she's 18 now, and Nicole can make her very own decisions, and doesn't hesitate to tell you that she can."

"Yeah, Nicole has always spoken her mind. She may look and act a lot like Jack, but the girl does have some of her mother's lawyer-like traits."

The two agents sit down at the big table where Sam, Viv, Martin, and my dad are sitting.

"Alright, so, Sam, give me the run through."

"Jacqueline Sanders, 19 years old, born and raised in Yonkers. Jacqueline, known to her friends as Jackie, moved to Manhattan last year to attend NYU."

"Who called it in?"

"A friend from school said that Jackie had missed all of her classes. The friend said she's tried getting a hold of Jackie's friends and family, and none of them has any idea where she is."

Dad rubs his temples, this case being the latest in what appears to be a serial kidnapper's terrorizing rein on New York.

"Sam, I want you to check Sanders' phone records, see if she made any calls around the time of her disappearance. Viv, I want you to run her name through the system, see what you can dig up on Jacqueline Sanders. Mike, Danny, I want you to go search this girls apartment, storage lockers, whatever. Martin and I are going to start talking to her relatives and make sure they're not hiding her somewhere."

Everyone gets up, going in their own separate directions to do as my father said. Mike and Danny pull up in front of what seems to be a nice apartment building, in a great neighborhood. Going into her apartment, it becomes even more obvious to Danny and Mike that this girl probably didn't leave on her own free will.

"How could she afford a place like this on a students' salary? It's nicer than any place that I've ever lived in?"

"Maybe she was working a good job and going to school."

Danny looks at a desk situated in the living room.

"Psychology, sociology, this girl was going some hardcore reading. NYU classes are tough enough, and with as much as this girl was going, there was no way that Jacqueline could have been working a full time job and going to school. It's not psychically possible."

"Boyfriend? He gets angry at her for not spending enough time with him, due to school and work, and decides to keep her all to himself."

"What guy is neurotic enough to do something like that?"

"Michael, Michael, Michael. It's becoming increasingly apparent to me that you haven't been on this job for very long."

"Look, I don't know if it was boyfriend or cousin or whoever, but all of his victims have been from NYU. Do you know what school Nicole goes to you?"

Danny's mind instantaneously makes the connection.

"Mike, Nicole is a federal agent's daughter."

"Exactly, this makes her more of a target than anyone else. I want to find this guy and I want to find him fast."

Unfortunately for both of us, Mike wouldn't find him fast enough.


	3. Ch 3: Overreacting or underreacting?

Title: Good People Gone Bad

Summary: second part of the Michael Fitzgerald/Nicole Malone series. Jack got custody of the girls, and Nicole got custody of Mike Fitzgerald's heart. Will Michael and Nicole's relationship advance, or will someone make sure that it stops?

Disclaimer: I own none of the Without a Trace Characters, but I do own Nicole Malone and Michael Fitzgerald, and should I end up creating more characters, I will own them also.

**A/N: as with many of my other stories, I'm making a lot of things up as I go along. I'm a high school student with very little money. Please don't sue.**

**A/N: I think I finally know where I'm taking this story! It seems to me like it's going to be a great ride, so stick with me, my faithful reviewers!**

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Going to the office when I was a kid was one of my most favorite things to do. For hours, I would sit behind my dad's desk, acting as if I were some big, successful federal agent that made millions of dollars, and were extremely famous. Any other time, the dull sounds of mixed voice, phones, and the dings of the elevators would calm me, but for now, I was here on an official reason. Earlier this morning, after news of yet another NYU student's disappearance, dad had called me and asked if I would come down here for a little bit, and answer some questions. I had been friends Melissa, Andrea, and Jacqueline, who had all been kidnapped, and maybe he figured that I was involved somehow.

"Hey, Viv, where's dad at?"

"Jack's in his office, Nicole."

I walk a little further down the hall and into dad's office, which is strictly professional. Going inside, I see that not much has changed: There are still no photos of him, his friends, or dad's family. Michael is sitting in one of the chairs in front of dad's desk, while dad is sitting in his big leather desk chair.

"What's going on?"

"You've been paying attention to everything that has been going on at school lately, right?"

"Yeah. Missy, Andi, and Jackie all went missing."

"Do you know if they had anything in common?"

"We were all in a sociology class together. Other than that, I got nothing."

Dad scribbles some notes down on a piece of paper, while Mike continues that questioning.

"Have you noticed anything weird lately? Has someone called the house and hung up or is there a car following you anywhere?"

"There have been the phone calls once or twice, nothing major. I really don't pay attention to see if there are cars following me or not. What's going on Michael?"

"Other than going to school at NYU, these people all have one thing in common; one or both of their parents work for either the police department or the FBI."

"And you think that they're going to come after me next because of you and dad?"

Mike and dad both nod their heads, indicating what I already knew to be the truth.

"Seriously, I can take care of myself, guys. I have been raised by agents, raised by agents, and I'm dating one of you. If anyone tries anything, I can take care of it."

"Nicole, when it comes to your safety, I'm not going to slack off."

"Michael,"

"Nicole, just do it! You could very well be the missing girl in the next folder that passes through this unit, and I don't want that to happen. Ground rules: Do not go out by yourself after dark, when some calls, look at the caller i.d. first. You're going to fight us on this one, but we are going to have a patrol car go down your street at least once an hour, just to make sure."

I just sit in the chair and nod my head, never having seen dad go so overboard on security. Taking care of us girls has always been high on dad's list, but I've never really seen him go so insane. I stand up out of the chair, sliding my coat back on, and walk out of the field office. The cold November air stings my face, but I figure that a walk in the New York air will help me clear my mind. On one hand, I'm glad that Dad and Michael are taking steps to keep my safe. Knowing that there are not only people on my side, but people that care about me very much, makes me glad. On the other hand, though, they're both being seriously obsessive, and that is definitely something that I do not like at all. I walk blocks and blocks back to our apartment, and still have no idea what to do. I'm so lost in thought that I have no idea that I've just walked right into some guy.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"It's not a problem, Miss Malone."

"How do you know my name?"

I look up at the man, confused. Before I can say anything else, a white cloth soaked in something gets pressed against my mouth and nose. The world around me goes black.


	4. Ch 4: Missing

Title: Good People Gone Bad

Summary: second part of the Michael Fitzgerald/Nicole Malone series. Jack got custody of the girls, and Nicole got custody of Mike Fitzgerald's heart. Will Michael and Nicole's relationship advance, or will someone make sure that it stops?

Disclaimer: I own none of the Without a Trace Characters, but I do own Nicole Malone and Michael Fitzgerald, and should I end up creating more characters, I will own them also.

**A/N: as with many of my other stories, I'm making a lot of things up as I go along. I'm a high school student with very little money. Please don't sue.**

**A/N: the end of this one may seem a little weird, and that's not only because of the topic, but because I was not sure of writing it, and I'm still not sure.**

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"Nicole, are you home? I brought your dad and Danny, Sam, Viv, Martin with me. Nicki?"

After the whole incident at the office, Michael thought it best that he try to make up for it and cheer me up. He talked to everybody at the office, and they all decided to drive over here and have dinner, just like we used to before everything, the kidnappings and the whole custody battle, ever happened.

"Is she not here, Mike?"

"That's strange, she's almost always home before me, and if she's not, she'll call or leave a note, or something."

"Does she have a cell phone?"

"I'm already calling it."

Dad says from where he's standing. Everyone is trying to deny what they all know to be the truth.

"I'm sure it's nothing, Jack. She probably just ran out to get some milk or food, or something."

"Maybe it's the reception in here. I'm going to try calling her outside."

"I'm going."  
All of the agents walk outside, hoping that by some chance I pick up the phone, and answer it with my usual cheery disposition.

"Do you guys hear that?"

Viv asks, motioning for everyone to stay quite. Dad walks over to the entrance of an alley that was next to our place, and, walking a few feet forward, sees the cloth the man used to cover my face and my cell phone open, with the screen lighting up; a sure sign that I was getting a call.

"Oh my god,"

Mike says, his mind instantaneously running every possibility in his mind. Dad moves forward, and gets my cell phone and the cloth into a plastic bag that he always carried a spare of in his suit jacket pocket.

"We need to get this to the lab, and run fingerprints and everything other kind of test on it. He is not going to get away with another one."

Meanwhile, I was in a whole world of trouble.

"Stop screaming! It's not going to make anything easier for you, and it's not like anybody is going to hear you."

I hadn't seen the guy coming, and I hadn't had the time to react. When I woke back up, I had a horrible headache, with a weird taste in my mouth. Not knowing what else to do, I resorted back to the things dad had taught us as kids: If we were ever kidnapped, yell as loud and as much as you can. So yell I did, and I received a swift hit to my head, with what felt like a gun of some kind.

"Why are you doing this?"

"That's not the right question now, Nicole. The question is why hadn't I done this earlier? Your father and boyfriend's brother know me."

"How?"

"Oh, it's sort of like a cat and mouse game. I run, they follow."

He leans down, whispering in my ear in a successful attempt to scare me.

"I kill another woman, and they follow her. See? It's not very complicated at all once you get the just of it."

"Look, buddy, I'm not going to do anything. I won't tell my father or anybody else, if you just let me out of here, and let me go home."

"I can't do that. While you say now that you wouldn't do anything, your mind would change drastically as soon as you left here. And you should worry about getting hurt as long as you do what I say. I wouldn't want to hurt the future mother of my children, now would I?"

I get a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach as I realize what this man's intentions are with me. It's at that very moment that I wished dad would hurry up and catch this guy, so I could get out of here.


	5. Ch 5: Over the Edge

Title: Good People Gone Bad

Summary: second part of the Michael Fitzgerald/Nicole Malone series. Jack got custody of the girls, and Nicole got custody of Mike Fitzgerald's heart. Will Michael and Nicole's relationship advance, or will someone make sure that it stops?

Disclaimer: I own none of the Without a Trace Characters, but I do own Nicole Malone and Michael Fitzgerald, and should I end up creating more characters, I will own them also.

**A/N: as with many of my other stories, I'm making a lot of things up as I go along. I'm a high school student with very little money. Please don't sue.**

**A/N: There was a part of the last chapter, towards the end, where I was talking about Nicole getting hurt and I said could, when I really meant couldn't. sorry.**

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_Male, big, tall, deep voice that I would never forget_. As the hours ticked by, I tried to keep my mind working. Most people that end up getting killed in my situation die because they don't keep a level head. Begging and pleading is going to get you no where. You need to fight fire with fire: Let him be crazy, but give him your own level of crazy and confuse him. Things at the office were also getting pretty crazy. Everyone on the team had been working non-stop since everything went down. Dad and Michael were trying their very best to keep it together for team moral, but it was growing increasingly difficult.

"Do we have anything yet, Sam?"

"The girls not only were in a few of the same classes, but one or both of their parents either worked for the FBI or for the NYPD. I went through the files trying to look for anything similar."

"And?"

"The McManton case."

Sam puts a file in the middle of the table, letting everyone wonder what she's talking about.

"The McManton case? What's that?"

"About a year and a half, two years ago, a few of us worked this case. A young woman in her early twenties had disappeared, Julian McManton. He husband had called it in, and at the time, the evidence pointed to the husband, Anthony. He was a doctor and knew how to give his wife the drugs to knock her out, which we found in her blood. Danny and Viv brought him in here, asked some questions. Anyway, this guy freaked out, said that we were trying to pin his wife's disappearance on him, blah, blah, blah."

"Melissa's mom and Jacqueline's dad were both agents at the time, and helped Jack, Danny, and I on the case: Doing surveillance, gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, basic things like that. Andrea's parents, both mother and father, worked for the NYPD and had rounded up the suspects, and eventually, were the ones that arrested Anthony McManton."

"That's the link. I know who's doing it."

Mike says, causing everyone to look at him like he's insane. His eyes are wide with a mix of excitement for getting me back, and anger at the person who took me in the first place. While he spoke, his mind was elsewhere, planning what he would do to my kidnapper as soon as I was found.

"This guy, Anthony, was really upset that you were looking at him as a possible suspect?"

"Upset would be an understatement, but yes."

"Maybe he's doing it as payback."

"Mike, we're not in third grade anymore. Payback doesn't really happen much anymore."

Michael stands up, wanting to go after Anthony, but needing to finish the investigation portion of the case first.

"Think about it, Martin. All of the evidence lines up. He's a doctor, which means he would know what chemical to use to get Nicole to pass out with that cloth that we found in the alley. You said it yourself that all of these girls' parents had worked on his case."

"How are we going to prove it?"

"Start talking to his family and friends, see if maybe they know."

"All right people, you heard the man. Let's find his relatives and start asking some questions."

_Tick, tock, tick, tock. _It was getting harder and harder for me to remain calm. The man had left short after the last conversation, and had turned the lights out after he left. The room I was in was pitch black, and smelled of dust and mildew. The nauseating feeling in the pit of my stomach was getting worse as the clock behind me ticked and ticked. I had no idea how much time I had left, but my instincts were usually right, and my instincts were telling me that I didn't have very long. I hear the big door open, and feel the presence of someone else joining me in the room.

"Miss Malone, I'm back. It's time to make a little tape to send home to the desperate agents. They still don't have a clue where you are, and I have a feeling that this tape is going to be what pushes some of them over the edge."


	6. Ch 6: Watching the tape

Title: Good People Gone Bad

Summary: second part of the Michael Fitzgerald/Nicole Malone series. Jack got custody of the girls, and Nicole got custody of Mike Fitzgerald's heart. Will Michael and Nicole's relationship advance, or will someone make sure that it stops?

Disclaimer: I own none of the Without a Trace Characters, but I do own Nicole Malone and Michael Fitzgerald, and should I end up creating more characters, I will own them also.

**A/N: as with many of my other stories, I'm making a lot of things up as I go along. I'm a high school student with very little money. Please don't sue.**

**A/N: FYI: I completely made up the town of Ellington, NY, and there is some strong language used in this chapter. Sorry. I also use the word Christ. I know it is wrong to say it, and I realize that some of you are strongly religious, please remember that this is just a story, and I was using it for the sake of my story.**

**A/N: Seriously People read and review! I will stop adding chapters if you stop reviewing! There is only the one chapter left, but I won't add it if you don't review!**

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"Alright, you did very well, Nicole."

I had just finished recording the tape that the captor would be sending to Dad. Somewhere along the way, though, he felt it necessary just to demonstrate that he was serious by pistol-whipping my face, successfully causing a very swollen and bleeding left eye.

"I'm sorry I had to hurt you like I did, but it had to be done. How else would those FBI agents of yours know that I was serious? The point needed to be proven, so I did it."

"Gee, thanks."

I say, with the split lip that I had gotten earlier today. Or at least I thought it had been earlier today. In reality, I had no idea how much time had passed. It could've been two weeks since he took me and I probably wouldn't know. All I knew was that dad and Michael had to find me fast or I wouldn't last much longer. Maybe the tape would give them some kind of hope.

"Jack, this just got delivered. Postage is from some small town about an hour north of here."

Dad rips open the shipping box, revealing the tape that had been made. In all hopes of keeping my condition within the group of agents, he took it into his office, drawing the blinds, and making sure that the only people in the office were his people. Michael walked forward, turning all of the equipment on, and puts the tap into the VCR, hitting play. My tear-stained face appeared in the middle of the screen, sitting on an old wood chair, my legs tied to the chair with my hands secured to the arm-rests.

"My name is Nicole Elizabeth Malone; I am 18 years old, born and raised in Manhattan, New York. I have been told to give you a message: If Anthony McManton's record is not wiped clean within the next 48 hours, I will be killed. If I say anything about reporting this to the authorities, I will be severely punished."

Before I could've said anything else, my captor appeared on the screen and hit my across the face, really hard, with the butt of his pistol.

"Agents Malone, Fitzgerald, if you really care about our precious Nicki, you will do as she just said, won't they Nicole?"

His hand rested on my thigh, making me, and every agent watching the tape want to kill him.

"Yes."

"So, Jack and Mike, see you soon."

The tape cuts off, and not a moment too soon. Mike stands up from his chair, kicking the leg of it.

"Damn it!"

"Michael, calm down."

"No, martin, you calm down! Did you not see what he was doing to her? Did you not see her face after he hit her? Nicki was bleeding from the head for Christ's sake!"

"Mike, we all saw it, but freaking out about it won't help Nicole at all. Now, what is the last location that we have on Anthony McManton?"

"You really think it's him, Jack?"

"I don't know, but at this point, it's the only lead we have."

Sam flips through Anthony's file, trying to find the correct page, and as soon as she finds it, she stops what she's doing and just stares.

"Sam, hello? What is his last location?"

"Ellington, a small town about an hour north of here."

Dad, realizing what has Sam so spooked, picks up the package that the video came in and looks at the postage stamp, which reads, Ellington, New York.

"Martin, Viv, Danny, I want you guys to stay here in case anything new comes in. Michael, Sam, and I are going to go to Ellington."

"Alright, Jack. Bring our girl back."

Dad nods his head, and the three agents head out the front door of the FBI office, with every intention of getting me back.


	7. Ch 7: Finding his girl

Title: Good People Gone Bad

Summary: second part of the Michael Fitzgerald/Nicole Malone series. Jack got custody of the girls, and Nicole got custody of Mike Fitzgerald's heart. Will Michael and Nicole's relationship advance, or will someone make sure that it stops?

Disclaimer: I own none of the Without a Trace Characters, but I do own Nicole Malone and Michael Fitzgerald, and should I end up creating more characters, I will own them also.

**A/N: as with many of my other stories, I'm making a lot of things up as I go along. I'm a high school student with very little money. Please don't sue.**

**A/N: When I say bridal-style, I mean with one arm around the back and one under the knees, like when the man carries the woman across the threshold. **

**A/N: This is the last chapter to this part of the Michael/Nicole series. I hope to have the next part along sometime within the next week. If anybody has any ideas, please let me know! Email me or something!**

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"I hope Nicole is okay. I mean, we've all known her since she was a little baby."

"I just hope that Mike refrains himself when he sees her. Seeing the hit with the pistol was one thing, but seeing it face to face, is completely different."

"You're worried Michael is going to try something?"

"I don't know, Viv, I mean, he really, really loves Nicole. Wouldn't you freak out if someone hurt a person that you love?"  
Viv just nods her head, thinking the same things that Martin was. In Ellington, dad, Michael and Sam were not having as much luck.

"I can't believe nobody has seen them. How do you miss seeing some guy drag a beautiful, unconscious girl into a building?"

The three agents walk into the town's small post office.

"Excuse me, I'm agent Malone, this is Agents Fitzgerald and Spade. We're with the FBI. Have you seen this man?"

Dad hands the clerk a picture of Anthony McManton, hoping that by some chance, he will say that he has seen him, and they'll get a break in my case.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I have seen this gentleman. I don't know his name, but he's been in town for about two weeks or so, renovating this old house."

"Was he alone?"

"When he first moved into town, yes, but then a few days ago, he pulled up with a beautiful girl in the car. I asked him who she was, and he said it was his wife, and that he didn't want to bring her to town until he had most of the work done on his house."

"Do you know what kind of car he drives, or where he lives, by any chance?"

"He drives a black ford Taurus, and he lives A few blocks up this road, but I don't have any specific details on this house. Sorry."

"No, Sir, you've been a lot of help. Thank you."

Dad, Michael, and Sam walk out of the building with a renewed sense of hope and vigor. Getting in the car, they follow the postal worker's directions and start going up the road, looking for a black ford Taurus.

"Has anybody seen it yet?"

"Not yet."

"There! To your right, Jack."

Dad pulls over, running up to the house where the car is parked. Without knocking at all, dad breaks down the front door, and Sam, Michael and himself begin searching the house. As they walk into the living room, they see Anthony with sitting in a recliner, laughing.

"Congratulations, Agent Malone, Agent Fitzgerald. You found me, way to go!"

"Where is she, McManton?"

"You will get your precious Nicole in due time, Jack, don't worry. First, I want proof that you've wiped my file clean. Then, I'll think about letting you get your daughter back."

Anthony turns around to continue mocking and making fun of dad and Michael, but while he is turned around, Sam and dad pounce on the opportunity and handcuff him.

"Michael, go check the basement, Sam, you check this floor. I'll stay with this guy and call some backup."

Each agent took special time to search their assigned floor. I see the door open in front of me, and Mike appears a few seconds later. Unfortunately, before I can be excited to be rescued, I pass out.

"Jack, Sam! She's down here!"

He yells to dad and Sam to let them know where we are. Mike walks up to the chair getting the tape off of my ankles and wrists.

"It's alright, I have you. You're okay now."

He picks me up bridal-style, and carries me up the stairs.

"Is she alright, Mike?"

"She's fine; I just need you to get the paramedics over here."  
The paramedics rush over, getting me onto the stretcher, and already working on saving my life. Michael gets into the ambulance, riding beside me, and never once letting go of my hand. Dad and Sam drive to the hospital, meeting us there, then call the field office and let everyone know that we're okay. The next time I open my eyes, I see Michael sitting in a chair beside my hospital bed, his head resting on his hands which are on the bed. I adjust my body in the bed, successfully waking Mike.

"Mm…Welcome back, you."

He says, smiling up at me.

"How long have I been out?"

"About a day. Doctor said that the guy beat your head with the gun so much that you basically went into a small coma."

"Well, that's always fun."

I shrug it off, trying to down play the situation. Normally, Mike would've laughed at even the most stupid jokes, but he looked really serious, and even a little upset.

"Mike, what's the matter?"

"You know I should be the one to ask you that."

"Don't avoid me."

"Okay, fine. This whole thing has made me think, you know? Think about my job, and about my apartment, and about you. I don't want to lose you again."

He reaches down beside the bed, and produces a black velvet ring case. Mike opens it and pulls out a single diamond platinum ring.

"Marry me Nicole."

All I can do is nod my head, as Michael slides the ring onto my left ring finger. I know now that I am happy and safe, and I will remain that way for years to come.


End file.
